Cushion-cleaning machine.



J. A. FRITSCH. CUSHION CLEANING MACHINE APPLICATION IILEDJAN. l1 1913,

1,072,843. Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Win 8808: [no afar." 4% OM62 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. A. FRITSCH.

CUSHION CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1913.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913;

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

c LUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON, u c.

JOHN A. FRITSGH, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CUSHION-CLEANING MAGHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 11, 1913. Serial No. 741,484.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. FRITSOH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cushion-Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a machine for cleanin cushions, carpets, etc., and has for its object to provide an apparatus especially adapted to the cleaning of the seat and back cushions of passenger car seats of various contour, and also for cleaning strips of carpet.

The invention comprises a machine of this type having scrubbing or cleaning brushes, in cylindrical form, together with driving mechanism therefor, controlling or guiding rollers, a wringer, and other features of construction and advantage, as shall be more fully hereinafter described.

The machine is intended to be used with cushions which have been primarily treated with a cleansing medium in fluid form, the cushions then being subjected to the brushing operation by passage through the machine. The device is provided with main brushesand an additional or supplemental brush, adjustably mounted for hand manipulation and clearance of the main machine by which recesses or channels, due to the particular formation of the seat, may be reached and acted upon.

One preferred form of the apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings I in which- Figure 1 shows the machine in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a view of the III. 111. machine machine, indicated by the line of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a view of the in end elevation, showing the wringers. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view indicated by the line V. V. of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail'view, showing a portion of one of the brushes. Fig. 7 is a partial longitudinal sectional view, showing one end of a brush.

The operative parts of the machine are mounted on a suitable framework, generally rectangular in form, of a width to correspond to, the dimensions of the car seat cushion as it is passed through the machine, and ofa suitable length to provide for the longitudinal vertical sectional necessary supporting rollers and other parts hereinafter described.

The frame work, as shown in the drawings, is made of sections of pipe connected by usual fittings and comprises the supporting legs or standards 2, the side pieces or rails 3, and the end cross'bars 4:,said parts being connected by T-fittings 5 and elbows 6. The frame work may also be provided with suitable stiffening or bracing members 7 of any suitable construction by which its rigidity may be maintained, the posts 2 preferably having flange terminals 8 for engaging the floor surface. In brushing car seat cushions which have been treated with the chemical fluid usually employed, it is desirable to first subject the surface of the cushion, which is usually plush or other similar material, to a rapid brushing action and subsequently to a comparatively slower brushing operation. For such puipose I therefore provide the primary brush A and the secondary brush B,

j the particular construction of which will be hereinafter described. Said brushes are, as shown, generally cylindrical in shape, hav ing a plurality of individual brush sections mounted around a supporting drum carried upon shafts 9 and 10 respectively. Said shafts pass through T-fittings 11 of the main frame at each side, forming continuations of the side bars 3, as shown, and are provided with suitable inserted bushings or other etficient bearings for reception of the shafts 9 and 10 in the manner of journals.

Each of the brushes A and B is driven in the same direction, as indicated by the arrows against the under surface of the cushion as it is passed along over the supporting rollers 12. ably mounted on supporting shafts or rods :13, carried in a supplemental supporting frame 14:, which may also be of pipe. Said Said rollers are revoluframe extends upwardly above the main frame 3,4 and is adjustably located by supporting studs 15 at each corner and midway, having adjusting and securing nuts 16, as will be readily understood. By this means the entire roll supporting frame may be vertically adjusted to the desired height for operation. The supplemental rollers 17, for guiding a carpet strip, are removably secured to. frame 14 by studs 18 and securing nuts carrying the supporting brackets 19;. this means the brackets and rollers Patented Sept. 9, 1.913..

may be readily removed for operation on the cushions and re-attached for use in cleaning carpet, or the roller shaft may be withdrawn, for the same purpose. Power is imparted to the initial roller A from any suitable driving means, as a motor, by belt ,20 engaging pulley 21 on the outer end of shaft 9. The secondary roller B is also provided with a similar pulley 22 in gear engagement by belt 23 with a driving pulley 24 on shaft 9 of roller A, by which means brush B is driven in the same direction as brush A, but at about one-half the peripheral speed thereof. A supplemental brush C of the same general construction is rotatably mounted by its shaft 25 in a supporting bracket 26 at one side only of the machine, as clearly shown. (See Fig. 5.) Bracket 26, which may be in the form of a T-coupling, as shown, is mounted upwardly above the side bar of frame l4'and is rotatably mounted upon the side bar by a similar fitting 27. Shaft 25 is journaled within fitting. 26 and slidably mounted therein so that the brush 0 may be shifted backwardly and the roller thrown upwardly on the bearing 27, out of the way of the ordinary cushions, when not in use.

The outer end of shaft 25 is provided with a pulley 28 geared by belt 29 with a driving pulley 30 on shaft 9 of brush A. When the brush G is pushed back and thrown up on bearing 27 in this manner, pulley 28 and its belt will be thrown out wardly and down to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, thereby avoiding interference with the other working parts.

The other end of shaft 25 is provided with a manipulating handle 31 between which and shaft 25 is interposed a sleeve 82, by means of which the brush C may be held downwardly by the operator, during the brushing operation, or thrown up out of place when not used.

A cushioning sprin 33, of any suitable construction, may be located above bearing 26, to effect sufficient downward resilient pressure, to maintain the inner end of the roller C in brushing engagement with the recess in the cushion or with the carpet strip, if desired.

' At one end of the machine I provide a pair of wringer rollers 34, 35, held by their 7 shafts in suitable fittings 36, 37, respectively, on uprights 38 of the main frame. The upper bearings 36 are fixedly secured to the supporting frame, as by pins or bolts 39, while bearings 37 are preferably slidably mounted on uprights 38. Cushion springs 40 are interposed between bearings 37 and the under portion of the supporting frame, adjusting nuts 41 being preferably employed for adjusting the tension of said springs and varying the gripping action of rollers 34, 35. The shaft of upper roller 34 is provided with a driving pulley 42 geared by belt 43 with a small driving pulley 44 mounted on the outer end of the stud or shaft 45 extending laterally of the main frame and rotatably mounted in bearings 46, 46, thereof. Pulley 44 is driven by enlarged pulley 47, which may be either keyed to shaft 45, if said shaft is revoluble, or pulley 47 may be fixedly connected with pulley 44, and both of the pulleys rotatably mounted on the outer stud extension of shaft 45, in which case said shaft maybe stationary. Pulley 47 is geared by belt 48 with a driving pulley 49 secured to. the end of shaft 10 of brush B. By properly proportioning the several pulleys just referred to, the wringer roller 34 may be driven at a comparatively slow speed from brush B, so as to feed a carpet'strip through the machine at a speed very much less than the periph eral speed of either brush, operating in the opposite direction.

Extending longitudinally of the machine underneath the several supporting rollers,

brushes and wringer, is a pan 50, the bottom of which is slightly inclined toward one end and provided with an outlet pipe 51, for collection and disposal of refuse,v fluid, etc. Said pan is supported in any suitable manner on the main frame, as by transverse rods 52 extending across between the several main uprights'2.

For the purpose of supplying'washing water, a pipe 53leadingfrom any suitable source of supply is introduced at one side of the machine, provided with a controlling valve 54 and asupply branch pipe 55 em tending along parallel with and closely adjacent to the periphery of the brush B.

"Water is supplied thereto in any desired.

amount through-a series of small'ports or holes 56 in said pipe 55, and by this means the brush may be cleansed from time to time or supplied with any desired quantity of rinsing water.

\Vhile any sultable revoluble brush con- 7 struction may be employed, I have especially designed the several rotatable brushes to provide for reversal of the several brush sections, or renewal thereof when worn. For such purpose the central core or body of the brush 57, which may be of wood or other suitable material, having the central actuating shaft 9 or 10, is made pol section, as hexagonal, oroctagonahas shown. Secured upon such polygonal face is a series of housings'58, which may be conveniently made of sheet metal, having diverging sides 59 terminating in inwardly turned lips 60 and providing a receiving dovetail-shaped recess for each individual brush back 61, of corresponding shape in cross sect-ion. By this construction each brush, having 'the usual bristles 62, may be inserted length- .gonal in cross held in its particular housing, so that when all of the several brushes are thus assembled they will be maintained in operative position, and will. provide a substantially continuous peripheral brush surface. For the purpose of so holding the several brush sections against longitudinal movement, one or both ends of the central shaft 9 or 10 may be provided with a disk or collar 68 having a securing set screw' 64, or other suitable means, whereby the brush sections may be maintained in place and may also be easily removed. Thus, after the brush has been used for some little time, the brush bristles will have a tendency to be bent backwardly from the direction of action on the article being brushed. In such case, the brush sections are withdrawn from their longitudinal housings and reversed in position, presenting the bristles in the reversed direction so that the efiiciency of the brush is thereby renewed, and its life maintained for a very considerable period, utilizing the brushes to their fullest extent.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

For car seat cushi0ns.F or cushions of ordinary construction wherein the surface is continuous from one end to the other without deflection, the cushion is laid upon the rollers 12 (rollers 17 having been temporarily removed and brush C having been thrown up) and is pushed along over the rollers toward the brush A and thereover at the desired speed to effect a thorough scrubbing action, in connect-ion with the applied fluid usually used. The cushion is pushed along over the rollers 12 intervening between brush A. and brush B, and is then additionally treated by brush B at a slower speed and in connection with the rinsing action of the water supplied thereto, the cushion being manipulated by the operator over the rollers 12 and the brushes, until the work is finished, and the cushion removed.

hen it is desired to clean cushions having a central division or groove as by the securing channel formed in the upholstery, as is quite common in the case of some styles of cushions, the supplemental brush (1 is employed, fitting into such recess between the main sections of the cushion. In such case the cushion is merely laid stationarily upon the middle rollers 12 and the brush C lowered into brushing contact and alinement with the said groove or depression, whereby the inner portions of each cushion section are thoroughly cleansed and renovated.

For cleaning carpet strips.VV hen the machine is used for this purpose, the main brushes A and B are employed in connection with the supplemental guiding rollers 17 and the terminal wringers 34, 35. In such case the carpet strip is introduced from the left end of the machine over rollers 12,

brought down underneath the first roller 17, and then carried across brush A, intervening rollers 12, underneath the second supplemental roller 17, across brush B and the first adiacent roller 12, then under the last roller 12, and then between the wringer rollers. 34, 35, traveling at a comparatively slow speed. By thisconstruction and arrangement, the carpet strip is held positively down into brushing engagement with the brushes A and B by rollers 17; it is fed at the desired speed by the wringer; and any surplus water. or other fluid is completely eliminated by the wringer and discharged down into the pan 50, the comparatively dry cleansed strip of carpet being discharged from the other end of the machine.

It will be understood that the apparatus may be changed or varied in construction by the skilled mechanic and adapted to the particular work intended by so proportioning it as to its different parts and dimensions to the work in view. It accomplishes thorough cleansing and renovation of the articles being cleaned in a rapid satisfactory manner with the employment of a mini mum of manual labor.' It is comparatively simple and cheap in construction, while having the several advantages noted, and will be found to accomplish its intended functions in a highly successful manner.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cleaning machine comprising a supporting frame, a plurality of rotatable brushes mounted thereon having driving mechanism, a series of supporting rollers adapted to support the article being treated as it is passed over said brushes, a vertically adjustable supporting frame for said rollers, and a supplemental rotatable brush adjustably mounted above and between said brushes, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a supporting frame, rotatable brushes mounted transversely thereof, supporting rollers arranged substantially in alinement with the upper portion of said brushes for longitudinal and swinging movement, a supplemental rotatable brush adjustably mounted above and between said brushes, and means for driving all of said brushes, substantially as set forth.

3. The combinationof a main supporting frame, rotatable brushes mounted transversely thereof, supporting rollers, an adjust-able supporting frame therefor, a pivoted frame carrying a rotatable brush, and means for actuating the brushes, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a main supporting frame, rotatable brushes mounted transversely thereof, supporting rollers, an ad justable supporting frame therefor, means for actuating the brushes, and a supplemental rotatable brush mounted transversely &

across the upper part of the machine and having a hinged supporting bracket, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a main supporting frame Work, rotatable brushes mounted transversely thereof, supporting rollers arranged transversely of the machine and in substantial alinement With the upper portion of said brushes, a longitudinally movable adjustable rotatable brush having a JOHN A. FRITSCH.

Witnesses:

C. M. CLARKE, FREDK. STAUB,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ,of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

